Powder Injection Molding (PIM) is an attractive process to form shaped parts. Using such a PIM process, metal, ceramic, and/or ferrite powder is combined with a carrier, such as one or more carbon-containing materials, and that resulting mixture is molded into a desired shape, sometimes called a “green body.” The one or more carbon-containing materials functions as, among other things, a binder which facilitates molding of the metal/ceramic/ferrite powder into the green body. The one or more carbon-containing materials are then removed via thermal and/or solvent means. Thereafter, the remaining shaped powder is sintered to produce the desired metal/ceramic/ferrite shaped article. In order to minimize, and hopefully to, prevent the formation of defects in, and/or inclusion of impurities in, the final shaped article, it is desirable that the one or more carbon-containing materials be completely removed from the green body prior to sintering.
PIM is a particularly appealing process for forming shaped items comprising titanium due to: low processing temperatures, longer mold lifetimes, and ability to produce near net shaped parts requiring minimal final machining. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, shaped titanium parts have utility as medical implants, i.e. bone screws and plates, golf club heads, and as aerospace components. Despite these advantages, however, the high reactivity of titanium and its susceptibility towards forming solid solutions with commonly occurring elements (i.e. oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen), requires that the one or more carbon-containing materials be completely removed from the shaped body at temperatures below about 500° C., and more preferably near 450° C. Applicant's invention comprises a PIM formulation and method which produces a low viscosity, easily moldable composition to form green titanium body which can be debound and sintered to produce, for example, titanium parts having a bulk density almost equal to the density of naturally-occurring titanium metal.